The
Comisión Nacional de Comunicaciones, Buenos Aires, announces the
introduction of the new Basic National Numbering Plan for Argentina. The Plan is intended to serve as the basis for ensuring the rational use and
administration of the numbering system as a limited national resource, for the
benefit of users and telecommunication service providers. One of the most
important considerations is that the numbering system should be easy to
understand and user-friendly. Before 31 January 1999 the national (significant)
number will increase from eight to ten digits (country code: 54).

1.
Present situation

The
current numbering system uses fixed-length eight-digit national numbers
consisting of a variable-length area code (one to three digits) and a variable
length subscriber number (five to seven digits). Although less than 10% of
total numbering capacity is now being used in the country as a whole, the
corresponding figure for area code 1, Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (Area
Metropolitana de Buenos Aires (A.M.B.A.)), is approximately 50%. The code
format for special services is 1XY, except for operator services (19
and 000).

2.
Structure of the national number

Length - All national numbers
will have ten digits.

– Structure
of geographical numbers

Structure
of the national geographical number

The
national geographical number is composed of the area code and the subscriber
number and will consist of ten digits, as illustrated in Table 1.

Table
1.Structure of the national geographical number

National geographical
number
Ten digits

Area code

Subscriber number

A
B

c
d e f g h i j

A
B C

d
e f g h i j

A
B C D

e
f g h i j

Characteristics:

Restriction
on the use of the digit zero (0) as the first digit of the national number.
The use of the digit zero (0) as the first digit of the national number is
restricted, since it is assigned to the access prefixes.

– Structure
of the subscriber number

The
subscriber number which identifies users within a local service area with the
same area code, may consist of six, seven or eight digits (variable length). It
is made up of the exchange identification number and the exchange extension
number as shown in Table 2.

Table
2. Structure of the subscriber number

Subscriber number

Exchange characteristic

Exchange extension number

e
f

g
h i j

d
e f

g
h i j

c
d e f

g
h i j

Characteristics:

Restriction
on the use of the digit zero (0) at the beginning of the exchange
characteristic number. The use of the digit zero (0) as the first digit of
the exchange characteristic number is restricted, since it is assigned to the
access prefixes.

Restriction
on the use of the digit one (1) at the beginning of the exchange characteristic
number. The use of the digit one (1) as the first digit of the exchange
characteristic number is restricted.

Exchange
extension number. This will always consist of four digits, from 0000 to
9999 (g, h, i, j).

– Structure
of non-geographical numbers

The
generic structure of non-geographical numbers is given in Table 3.

Table
3. Structure of non-geographical numbers

National non-geographical
number
Ten digits

Non-geographical service
code

Subscriber number

A
B C

d
e f g h i j

Characteristics:

Restriction
on the use of the digit 0 as the first digit of the national number. The
use of the digit zero (0) as the first digit of the national number is
restricted, since it is assigned to the access prefixes.

Table
4 lists the national non-geographical services defined.

Table
4. Description of non-geographical numbers

Non-geographical service code

Description

600

Non-geographical
value-added number (type audiotext)

601
to 609

Reserved
for non-geographical value-added numbers (type audiotext)

610

Non-geographical
value-added numbers for other services

611
to 699

Reserved
for non-geographical services

800

Non-geographical
freephone numbers

801
to 809

Reserved
for non-geographical freephone numbers

810
to 899

Reserved
for non-geographical services

– Structure
of special service codes

The
special services include emergency calls, community services and the customer
care services of telecommunication service providers.

The
special services (except for operator services) will have the following format:
1XY.

Where:

1 is the special
service codeX is the generic code for the type of special servicesY is the code for the specific service (0 to 9)

The
groups of special services defined by the generic code X (0, 1, 2), are shown
in Table 5.

Table
5. Groups of codes for the special services

Group of codes

Type of services

10Y

Emergency
services

11Y

Customer
services

12Y

Customer
services

Codes
assigned to special services

Table
6 shows the codes assigned to special services.

Table
6. Codes assigned to special services

Codes assigned

Service

100

Fire-brigade

101

Police

102

Child
help-line

103

Civil
defence

105

Environmental
emergency

106

Emergency
at sea

107

Medical
emergency

110

Information

112

Local
provider’s customer service assistance

113

Official
time

114

Repairs

115

Ringing
test

121

Statement
of service account

19

National
operator

000

International
operator

– Structure
of the long-distance carrier identification code

The
carrier code has the following structure: PQR

Where

P =
1,... , 9 (P = 0 is reserved for future development)

Q,
R = 0, 1,....., 9

3.
Dialling procedures

– Dialling
procedures for local calls

The
user follows the dialling procedure shown in Table 7 in order to make local
calls.

Table
7. Dialling procedure for local calls

Type of call

Digits to be dialled

Local

Subscriber
number

Dialling
for a call with origin and destination in the same local service area, and with
the same area code, six digit subscriber number:

e
f g h i j

Dialling
for a call with the origin and destination in the same local service area and
with the same area code, seven digit subscriber number:

d
e f h g i j

Dialling
for a call with origin and destination in the same local service area, and with
the same area code, eight-digit subscriber number:

c
d e f g h i j

Dialling
for a call with origin and destination in the same local service area and a
different area code (if authorized), national number to be used.

The
Regulatory Authority may allow local service providers to dial the national
number (with or without the national long-distance access prefix) when making a
local call.

Access
prefixes

All
service providers should use the same prefixes, as shown in Table 8, when those
prefixes are necessary for the provision of a service.

Table
8. Access prefixes

Prefix

Meaning

0

Automatic
national long-distance call using preselected carrier

00

Automatic
international long-distance call using preselected carrier

15

“Calling
party pays” call

17

Selection
of carrier for national long-distance calls

18

Selection
of carrier for international long-distance calls

Numbers
preceded by an asterix (*) are reserved for the free use of the local service
providers.

– Dialling
procedures for automatic area calls

The
user follows the dialling procedure shown in Table 9 in order to make a
national call (outside his local area).

Table
9. Dialling procedure for automatic area calls

Destination

Mode

Digits to be dialled

National

Preselected
carrier

0
+ national number

Selection
of carrier

17
+ PQR + national number

where: PQR
= Long-distance carrier code

– Dialling
procedure for automatic international calls

The
user follows the dialling procedure shown in Table 10 in order to make an international
call.

Table
10. Dialling procedure for international calls

Destination

Mode

Digits to be dialled

International

Preselected
carrier

00
+ international number

Selection
of carrier

18
+ PQR + international number

where: PQR
= Long-distance carrier code

– Dialling
procedure to access special services

The
user follows the dialling procedure shown in Table 11 in order to access
special services.

Table
11. Dialling procedure to access special services

Destination

Mode

Digits to be dialled

Special
services not provided by a long-distance carrier

Not
applicable

Service
code

Special
services provided by a long-distance carrier

Preselected
carrier

Service
code(*)

Selection
of carrier

17
+ PQR + 0 + service code(*)

(*) For
those services provided by a long-distance carrier.

where: PQR
= long-distance carrier code

– Dialling
procedures for national non-geographical numbers

The
user follows the dialling procedure shown in Table 12 in order to make calls to
national non-geographical numbers.

Table
12. Dialling procedure for national non-geographical numbers

Destination

Digits to be dialled

National
non-geographical number

0
+ non-geographical number

Note:
For some non-geographical services the long-distance carrier selection may be
used, as shown in Table 9

– Dialling
procedure for non-geographical numbers in other countries

The
user follows the dialling procedure shown in Table 13 in order to make calls to
non-geographical numbers in other countries. This form of dialling shall be
subject to the conditions laid down by the regulatory body and to the standards
recommended by international organizations and agreements.

Table
13. Dialling procedures for calls to non-geographical numbers in other countries

Destination

Digits to be dialled

Non-geographical
number in another country

00
+ international non-geographical number(*)

(*) The
international non-geographical number includes the country code.
Note
1 – For some international non-geographical services, the long-distance
carrier selection mode may be used, as shown in Table 10.

– Dialling
procedure to call the national long-distance operator

The
user follows the dialling procedure shown in Table 14 in order to call the
national long-distance operator.

Table
14. Dialling procedure to call the national long-distance operator

Destination

Mode

Digits to be dialled

National
long-distance operator

Preselected
carrier

19

Selection
of carrier

17
+ PQR + 0 + 19

where: PQR
= long-distance carrier code

– Dialling
procedure to call the international long-distance operator

The
user follows the procedure shown in Table 15 in order to call the international
long-distance operator.

Table
15. Dialling procedure to call the international long-distance operator

Destination

Mode

Digits
to be dialled

International
long-distance operator

Preselected
carrier

000

Selection
of carrier

18
+ PQR + 000

where: PQR
= long-distance carrier code

– Dialling
procedure for a “calling party pays” call

The
user follows the dialling procedure shown in Table 16 to access services
providing the “calling party pays” facility.

Table
16. Dialling procedure for a “calling party pays” call

Destination

Mode

Digits to be dialled

Local

“Calling
party pays”

15
+ local number

4.
Programme of changes (general)

The
changes made during the transitional stage should be widely publicized in order
to explain the underlying reasons and principles and make the new basic
national numbering plan (PFNN) clear to users.

Detailed
programme of changes

Changing
the length of new national numbers to ten digits

The
process will take place in two stages, so that the change-over to ten-digit
national numbers is completed by 31 January 1999.

– Extension
of local numbering: The
digit “4” will be placed at the beginning of all the present subscriber numbers
in order to form the new subscriber number. By adding one digit, the numbering
capacity in each area code area will be multiplied by ten.

Example:

Localities

Present subscriber number

New subscriber number

A.M.B.A.

820
5656

4820 5656

La
Plata

83
6789

483 6789

Córdoba

45
6789

445 6789

Tinogasta

2
6789

42 6789

– Extension
of area codes: the new area codes will be formed by placing a new digit “A”
at the beginning of the present codes. As a result, the number of available
area codes will be increased, and it will be possible to make more local
numbers available by reducing the area code to one digit as and when necessary.
This will provide the necessary flexibility for future development of the PFNN.
Future requirements for new area codes will be met by using either free slots
in the A = 2 or 3 series or codes set aside in the plan.

The
digits to be placed at the beginning of the area codes are as follows:

In
the A.M.B.A. A = 1
Southern inland area A
= 2
Northern inland area A = 3

Example:

Localities

Present national number

New national number

A.M.B.A.

1
820 5656

11 48205656

La Plata

21
83 6789

221 4836789

Córdoba

51
45 6789

351 4456789

Tinogasta

837
2 6789

3837 426789

· Change-over for
current cellular telephone users whose numbers do not correspond to their local
area

Once
the PFNN is published, cellular service providers who have users with trunk
identification codes different from those at their interconnection points may
apply for integrated numbering in order to start the gradual change-over. The
old non-integrated numbering must have been abandoned by 31 January 1999.

Change-over
for non-geographical numbers

The present
non-geographical numbers will be modified by adding two digits formed by
repeating the subscriber number digit immediately following the
non-geographical service identification code “600” and “800”.

Example:

Type of service

Present number

New number

600

600
23456

600
22 23456

600

600
65432

600
66 65432

800

800
23456

800
22 23456

800

800
65432

800
66 65432

Other
non-geographical services currently in operation will be required to start
using their new non-geographical code before 31 July 1999.

Use
of prefixes for long-distance carrier selection

Once
the relevant notification has been received from the Regulatory Authority,
local service providers will have six months within which to make it possible
to select the long-distance operator by means of the prefix dialled.